The Role of Perceived Stress and Self-Efficacy in Young People's Life Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Study

Student burnout and engagement: Relationship with adolescent use of alcohol and attitudes towards authority

The burnout syndrome has been related to development of transgressive attitudes toward norms that facilitate risk behaviors in youth, such as drinking alcohol. On the contrary, academic engagement is related to positive attitudes toward authority which can slow down its use. The objective was analyze the relationships between burnout and academic engagement, attitudes toward authority and use of alcohol. Method: The sample included a total of 1,287 high school students who anonymously filled out the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students and the Scale of Attitudes toward Institutional Authority in adolescents, along with questions on drinking alcohol. Results: It was observed that cynicism had a significant effect on positive attitude toward rule-breaking, and this in turn, on frequency of drinking. The engagement dedication factor was shown to have a significant direct effect on positive attitude toward institutional authority, and this on drinking frequency. Conclusions: Promoting measures for decreasing burnout in youth and stimulating academic engagement could have repercussions on attitudes toward rules and the presence of risk behavior.

Stress, Sleep, and Coping Self-Efficacy in Adolescents

Adults are thought to show a sleep-stress spiral in which greater stress worsens sleep quality, which amplifies stress, which leads to worse sleep. This study examined whether adolescents show a similar spiral, and if so, whether coping self-efficacy-believing one can cope with stress-interrupts the spiral. Temporal dynamics of perceived stress, sleep quality, and coping self-efficacy were tracked in 381 9th graders (49% female, mean age 14.43, age range 14-16) using daily surveys across two school weeks (3184 observations). Though expected associations were evident between individuals, only a unidirectional path was found within individuals from sleep quality to perceived stress via coping self-efficacy. This challenges the conventional bidirectional understanding of sleep-stress relations and suggests coping self-efficacy as an intervention target.

Sources of academic stress among Iranian adolescents: a multilevel study from Qazvin City, Iran

Background

Academic stress can cause mental and physical problems and affect adolescents’ healthy development. This study aimed to estimate academic stress and explore its sources at the individual- and school levels among school-going adolescents in the city of Qazvin, Iran.

Results

This cross-sectional study used a stratified cluster sampling to recruit 1724 students aged 12–19 years from 53 schools in Qazvin City. Data were collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The mean academic stress score was 45.7 (95% CI 45.2, 46.3). The stress level was statistically higher among older 47.5 (95% CI 46.7, 48.3) than younger 44.1 (95% CI 43.4, 44.9) adolescents. The main academic stressors included: future uncertainty 69.7 (95% CI 68.8, 70.7), academic competition 58.5 (95% CI 57.3, 59.6), and interaction with teachers 56.1 (95% CI 55.3, 56.9). Gender, educational period, school type, family socioeconomic status, and father’s education were associated with academic stress.

Conclusions

We conducted a multilevel study using a random sample of male and female students in the city of Qazvin, Iran. Results indicated moderate levels of stress among Iranian adolescents. The academic stress was associated with several individual and school-level variables. Students and their families and teachers need education on stress prevention methods and coping mechanisms. Future research should focus on developing and testing multilevel policies and interventions to improve students’ mental health and academic performance.

Stress, Depression and Quit Attempt Outcomes among Unmotivated Smokers

INTRODUCTION

Stress and depressive symptoms have been linked to a reduced likelihood of sustaining smoking cessation. Because stress and depressive symptoms may negatively affect motivation to quit, stress and depression may also be important for whether or not smokers make a quit attempt.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms and initiating a quit attempt in a smoking cessation induction trial.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of existing data from a randomized clinical trial (N = 255) comparing motivational interviewing to health education and brief advice for smoking cessation induction in smokers with low motivation to quit.

RESULTS

We observed positive associations between baseline predictors and quit attempts at week 12 (r = 0.192, p < 0.01 for depressive symptoms and r = 0.136, p < 0.05 for perceived stress). Logistic regression models revealed similar significant positive associations between baseline perceived stress and baseline depressive symptoms and making a quit attempt by week 12 (OR = 1.5, CI:1.03, 2.19 and OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.06; respectively).

CONCLUSION

Unexpectedly, this study found generally small but consistently positive associations between baseline depressive symptoms and baseline perceived stress and making a quit attempt by week 12. The results can be viewed as encouraging in that interventions to encourage quit attempts do not appear counter-productive for individuals higher in stress and depressive symptoms, but these patients very likely will need additional supports to sustain abstinence.

Carving out space for collective action: a study on how girls respond to everyday stressors within leisure participation

Purpose: Stress and achievement pressure constitute factors affecting young people’s mental health, especially among girls. Leisure participation holds the potential to be a collective space where young people can respond to stressors together. This study explores how girls collectively construct responses to daily stressors within the context of leisure participation.

Methods: Nine focus groups were conducted with 16 girls aged 14–21 who were active members in two sport organizations in northern Sweden. Data was collected by using participatory observations and photo-elicited focus group discussions.

Results: Our findings from the inductive thematic analysis were interpreted by combining the stress process model with social practice theory, resulting in three subthemes or responses: sharing sites of responsibility, resisting norms related to (gendered) youth and focused distraction. The subthemes were abstracted into the central theme of trustful belonging as a resource for collective responses, representing what pre-conditions need to be in place to make the responses possible.

Conclusion: Leisure participation is an important relational space for young people to respond to stressors by making use of everyday routines, and the agency these social practices hold. However, the effort needed to respond to these stressors brought additional pressure in terms of responsibilities, and achievements.

Emergency stress management among nurses: A lesson from the COVID-19 outbreak in China-a cross-sectional study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To assess the level of stress response, self-efficacy and perceived social support status of working nurses during the outbreak of the COVID-19 and investigate potential factors affecting their stress.

BACKGROUND

The stress level of clinical nurses directly affects their physical and mental health and work efficiency.

DESIGN

This study was a cross-sectional investigation, which was performed following the STROBE checklist. The current study was conducted in February 2020 by selecting clinical nurses from the Zigong First People's Hospital for investigation.

METHODS

At the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, we assessed clinical nurses with the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Perceived Social Support Scale. Specifically, the nurses were divided into three groups: (a) nurses supporting Wuhan; (b) nurses in the department of treating the COVID-19 patients in our hospital (epidemic department); and (c) nurses in the general department without the COVID-19 patients in our hospital (non-epidemic department).

RESULTS

A total of 1092 clinical nurses were surveyed with 94 nurses in Wuhan, 130 nurses treating COVID-19 patients in our hospital and 868 nurses working without direct contact with diagnosed COVID-19 patients. The mean stress score of all surveyed nurses was 33.15 (SD: 25.551). There was a statistically significant difference in stress response scores between different departments. Noticeably, the nurses who went to support in Wuhan showed a weaker stress response than the nurses who stayed in our hospital (mean: 19.98 (Wuhan) vs. 32.70 (epidemic department in our hospital) vs. 34.64 (non-epidemic department in our hospital)). In addition, stress was negatively correlated with general self-efficacy and perceived social support.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggested that the stress status of second-line nurse without direct contact with diagnosed COVID-19 patients was more severe than that of first-line nurses who had direct contact with COVID-19 patients.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Our study indicated the importance of psychological status of second-line medical staff during the global pandemic.

Resilient youth with neurofibromatosis: Less perceived stress and greater life satisfaction after an 8-week virtual mind-body intervention

OBJECTIVES

The neurofibromatoses (NF) are rare, incurable genetic disorders. Adolescents with NF report greater stress and lower life satisfaction compared to same-age peers. We report on changes in life satisfaction and perceived stress following an 8-week single-blind, virtual randomized controlled trial of a mind-body intervention versus an educational control.

METHODS

Adolescents (N = 51) completed measures at baseline, post-treatment (N = 45), and 6 months later (N = 39).

RESULTS

Adolescents were geographically diverse, 41% female, and 76% White. Adolescents randomized to the intervention had greater improvements from baseline to post-test in stress compared to those in control; these were maintained through 6 months. Those randomized to intervention also reported greater improvement in life satisfaction from baseline to 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The NF tailored mind-body program resulted in sustained reduction in stress and improved life satisfaction. A virtual model of mind-body care may help adolescents who face other chronic medical illness.

Secular trends in adolescents' diagnosed health status and healthcare consultation: examinations of Canadian national surveys from 2007 to 2016

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate secular trends in adolescent health status and healthcare consultations.

STUDY DESIGN

The design of this study is cross-sectional comparisons of population survey outcomes.

METHODS

Canadian national population data from 2007 to 2016 (T1 N = 14,223; T2 N = 14,247; T3 N = 13,532; T4 N = 13,184; T5 N = 11,122; Total N = 66,308) were examined to find trends in health diagnosis (chronic illnesses and mental disorders) and healthcare consultation (general health practitioners and mental health professionals). Controlling demographics, Multivariate analysis of covariances (MANCOVAs) and correlations were carried out to compare differences by age group (A1: 12-14 years N = 25,180; A2: 15-17 years N = 25,825; A3: 18-19 years N = 15,303) and gender (girls N = 32,388; boys N = 33,920) across survey years.

RESULTS

Steady increases were found in diagnosed mental disorders and consultations with a mental health professional (MP) for girls, while chronic illnesses remained stable and general practitioner consultations declined for all adolescents over these years. Gender disparity in MP consultations grew with age, much more in recent years, whereas chronic illness diagnoses curved down for all in midadolescence. More integrated relations between health status and healthcare utilization were noted in T5 than in T1.

CONCLUSIONS

Differential secular trends were shown for adolescent physical versus mental health statuses and relevant healthcare consultations. Although girls' and older adolescents' mental health declined over the years, a positive direction was also found for improved awareness of mental health.

Associations of Social and Psychological Resources with Different Facets of Chronic Stress: A Study with Employed and Unemployed Adolescents

Adolescents navigate many psychosocial changes. A critical transition in adolescence is the one from school to work life. Both taking the first steps in work life and the failure to achieve this transition and being unemployed can engender elevated levels of stress during adolescence. Stress, especially when experienced chronically, is an important risk factor for mental health problems. Social and psychological resources may mitigate the experience of chronic stress. This study explored associations of social and family support, self-esteem, and self-efficacy with different dimensions of chronic stress in a sample of 1405 employed and unemployed adolescents (M(age) = 17.84, SD = 1.63, range: 14.05–26.12) in Switzerland. Unemployed adolescents showed higher stress levels overall. Higher levels of social and psychological resources were generally linked to lower stress levels. Social support and self-esteem predicted stress levels most consistently and strongly. On several stress dimensions, the association between higher self-esteem and lower stress levels was more pronounced in employed youth whereas the association between higher social support and lower stress levels was stronger in unemployed youth. Our findings provide insights on the differential associations of social and psychological resources with various facets of chronic stress in the context of employment and unemployment during adolescence.

Life Satisfaction and Self-rated Health in Adolescents: The Relationships between them and the Role of Gender and Age

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between self-reported life satisfaction, self-rated health, gender, and age in adolescents. 1,141 secondary school students aged between 12 and 17 participated in our study. The data were analyzed using bivariate and nonlinear canonical correlation analyses. The results of the bivariate correlation analysis support the results of previous studies. Life satisfaction was positively correlated with same-day perceived health (r = .37; p < .01) and negatively correlated with anxiety/depression (r = -.37; p < .01). Same-day perceived health was positively correlated with health in the past 12 months (r = .38; p < .01) and negatively correlated with pain/discomfort (r = -.32; p < .01) and with anxiety/depression (r = -.32; p < .01). The nonlinear canonical correlation analysis provided further evidence of the relationship between the variables, suggesting the complementarity of the indicators of self-rated health analyzed. Multiple fit values showed that demographic variables age (.61) and gender (.56) were the variables with the best discriminatory power. Graphically, two groups of related variables were displayed. A non-linear analysis better explains the relationships between the variables analyzed, showing that age and gender have a high level of discriminatory power for life satisfaction and self-rated health, suggesting a role as a moderator in the relationship between health and well-being variables.

Self-esteem and self-efficacy in the status attainment process and the multigenerational transmission of advantage

Despite considerable evidence of the importance of self-esteem and self-efficacy for agentic, goal-oriented behavior, little attention has been directed to these psychological dimensions in the status attainment literature. The present research uses data from the longitudinal, three-generation Youth Development Study (N = 422 three-generation triads) to examine the extent to which adolescent self-esteem and economic self-efficacy affect adult educational and income attainment, and whether these psychological resources are transmitted from one generation to the next, accumulating advantage across generations. We present evidence indicating that both self-esteem and economic self-efficacy are implicated in the attainment process. Adolescent economic self-efficacy had a direct positive effect on adult educational attainment and an indirect effect through educational plans. The influence of self-esteem on adult educational attainment was entirely indirect, through school achievement. We also find evidence that economic self-efficacy was transmitted from parents to children. We conclude that future research should more broadly consider psychological resources in attainment processes from a longitudinal multigenerational perspective.

Predicting Adolescent Adjustment and Well-Being: The Interplay between Socio-Emotional and Personal Factors

Social and emotional factors such as emotional competence and self-esteem are protective factors that promote adolescent mental health and well-being. In this paper, we will examine the combined contribution of these socio-emotional factors in addition to personal factors, in the prediction of psychological adjustment and subjective well-being in adolescence. The study included 840 adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years old (M = 13.37, SD = 1.16, 51.4% girls). We measured personal variables (sex, age, number of siblings), socio-emotional variables (emotional competence and self-esteem), psychological adjustment (emotional and behavioural problems) and subjective well-being (life satisfaction and affect balance). Besides descriptive analysis and Pearson bivariate correlations, two different methodologies were performed, including hierarchical regression models and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results show that emotional competence is a protective factor for optimal adjustment and well-being, and suggest that self-esteem reinforces this relation. Different patterns were observed for female and male adolescents of different ages and with different family backgrounds. The practical implications of our findings for intervention programs have been discussed.

SHARE IT: Co-designing a sustainability impact assessment framework for urban food sharing initiatives

Urban food systems must undergo a significant transformation if they are to avoid impeding the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals. One reconfiguration with claimed sustainability benefits is ICT-mediated food sharing - an umbrella term used to refer to technologically-augmented collective or collaborative practices around growing, cooking, eating and redistributing food - which some argue improves environmental efficiencies by reducing waste, providing opportunities to make or save money, building social networks and generally enhancing well-being. However, most sustainability claims for food sharing have not been evidenced by systematically collected and presented data. In this paper we document our response to this mismatch between claims and evidence through the development of the SHARECITY sustainability Impact assessment Toolkit (SHARE IT); a novel Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) framework which has been co-designed with food sharing initiatives to better indicate the impact of food-sharing initiatives in urban food systems. We demonstrate that while several SIA frameworks have been developed to evaluate food systems at the urban scale, they contain few measures that specifically account for impacts of the sharing that initiatives undertake. The main body of the paper focuses on the co-design process undertaken with food sharing initiatives based in Dublin and London. Attention is paid to how two core goals were achieved: 1) the identification of a coherent SIA framework containing appropriate indicators for the activities of food sharing initiatives; and 2) the development of an open access online toolkit for in order to make SIA reporting accessible for food sharing initiatives. In conclusion, the co-design process revealed a number of technical and conceptual challenges, but it also stimulated creative responses to these challenges.

Life satisfaction trajectories of junior high school students in poverty: Exploring the role of self-efficacy and social support

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents' evaluation of overall life in response to adverse life circumstances may depend on the features of events as well as the resources of the youngsters, but there is a lack of research examining whether these factors relate to life satisfaction trajectories from early adolescence to late adolescence (ranging from age 12 to 19). This study analyzes whether controllable negative life events, internal resources, (e.g., self-efficacy) and external resources, (e.g., three sources of social support) predict life satisfaction trajectories, and whether these resources moderate the negative impacts of controllable events on life satisfaction trajectories.

METHODS

Multilevel growth modeling was used to analyze a three-wave, nationally representative sample consisting of 818 adolescents from poor families in Taiwan. At time T1, participants were junior high school students (mean age = 13.52, SD=.83).

RESULTS

The results revealed that controllable negative events reduced the initial state of life satisfaction, whereas self-efficacy and family support enhanced the initial life satisfaction. In addition, instead of providing a buffering effect, self-efficacy strengthened the link between baseline controllable events and changes in life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that peer support, rather than family and teacher support, moderates the impact of controllable negative events on life satisfaction over time.

Attachment Styles and Well-Being in Adolescents: How Does Emotional Development Affect This Relationship?

Attachment relationships with parents, as well as emotional competencies, are protective factors against stress and other physical, mental, and relational health symptoms in adolescence. In this paper, we will examine the mediating role of emotional competencies in the relationship between attachment to parents and the well-being of adolescents, taking into account the influence of gender. There were 1276 Spanish adolescents between 12 and 15 years old (M = 13.48; SD = 1.09). We measured mother and father attachment relationships (trust, communication and alienation), emotional competencies (perceive and understand emotions, label and express emotions, manage and regulate emotions), and adolescent well-being using the indicators: somatic complaints, stress, satisfaction with life and affectivity. Descriptive analyses, Pearson correlations, and a multi-group path analysis were performed. The results indicated that emotional competencies partially mediate the relationship between attachment to parents and well-being variables. Attachment to one's mother and father, along with emotional competencies, are relevant variables in adolescent well-being. This highlights the importance of understanding the protective factors of well-being in adolescence, a time when levels of well-being are reduced compared to childhood.

The effectiveness of school-based skills-training programs promoting mental health in adolescents: a study protocol for a randomized controlled study

Background

Adolescence is a period of elevated stress sensitivity, which places adolescents at increased risk of developing mental health problems such as burnout, depression, anxiety, and externalizing problems. Early intervention of psychological needs and low-threshold care addressing such needs may prevent this dysfunctional development. Schools may provide an important environment to identify and address psychological needs. The aim of this protocol is to describe the design of a study aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of low-threshold school-based skills-training programs promoting the mental health of adolescents and to examine moderators of the effectiveness.

Methods

A Randomized Controlled Trial will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of two school-based skills-training programs aiming to promote mental health by improving either skills to deal with performance anxiety or social skills. A multi-informant (i.e., students, parents, and trainers) and multi-method (i.e., questionnaires and physiological measurements) approach will be used to assess program targets (skills to deal with performance anxiety or social skills), direct program outcomes (performance or social anxiety) and mental health outcomes (i.e., stress, internalizing and externalizing problems, self-esteem and well-being), as well as specific moderators (i.e., student, parent and program characteristics, social support, perfectionism, stressful life events, perceived parental pressure, positive parenting behavior, treatment alliance and program integrity).

Discussion

The current study will provide information on the effectiveness of school-based skills-training programs. It is of crucial importance that the school environment can provide students with effective, low-threshold intervention programs to promote adolescents’ daily functioning and well-being and prevent the emergence of mental health problems that negatively affect school performance.

Trial registration

Dutch Trial Register number NL7438. Registered 12 December 2018.

Impact of Stressful Events on Motivations, Self-Efficacy, and Development of Post-Traumatic Symptoms among Youth Volunteers in Emergency Medical Services

During the last decades, Israeli emergency medical services (EMS) personnel has been exposed to different potentially traumatic events, including mass terror attacks. The aims of the present study were to identify how potentially traumatic events affect young volunteers in their motivation to volunteer and their perceived self-efficacy while being at risk of developing post-traumatic symptoms. The final sample included 236 Magen David Adom (MDA, the "Israeli Red Cross") youth volunteers. The study evaluated their motivational factors for volunteering, perceived self-efficacy, participation in potentially traumatic events, and post-traumatic symptoms. Over two-thirds of the volunteers participated in a traumatic event on duty. Volunteers who were involved in potentially stressful events scored higher levels of post-traumatic symptoms, though still very low and subclinical. Nonetheless, participating in stressful events contributed to an increased sense of self-efficacy. No difference in post-traumatic symptom levels was observed between volunteers who partook in mass casualty incidents and those who did not. The results demonstrate that MDA youth volunteers may mostly benefit from participating in situations requiring the administration of emergency medicine, even stressful ones. They may help to find ways to empower the volunteers and increase their resilience.

Psychological capital is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and school belongingness

Psychological capital (PsyCap) has been associated with key organizational and well-being outcomes. However, limited investigations have been carried out regarding the role of PsyCap in the educational settings. The present study assessed the association of PsyCap with life satisfaction and school belongingness in the academic context. Four hundred and sixty-two Filipino high school students participated in the current investigation. Structural equation modeling showed that PsyCap was positively linked to school belongingness via the intermediate variable life satisfaction. An alternative structural model also provided evidence of the indirect effects of PsyCap on life satisfaction via school belongingness. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Perceived stress and reference ranges of hair cortisol in healthy adolescents

Background

Chronic stress during adolescence has usually been evaluated through subjective measures, leaving aside objective measures such as hair cortisol concentrations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide reference ranges for hair cortisol concentrations by sex and age and to study the relationship between subjective and objective measures of stress and temporal stability.

Methods

The participants were 170 adolescents aged between 12 and 14 years (mean = 12.78 years; standard deviation = 0.71 years; 52.40% girls) who completed the Perceived Stress Scale 4 and had their hair sampled.

Results

The results revealed hair cortisol concentrations ranging from 0.07 pg/mg to 9.54 pg/mg. Subjective and objective measures of stress were not related, nor was there intraindividual stability of the hair cortisol concentrations. Girls had higher hair cortisol concentrations, and there were no age differences.

Conclusions

This research provides cortisol reference values for adolescents that will allow the early detection of chronic stress. Such detection methods make it possible to prevent problems arising from stress because we can act more quickly and the treatments will be more effective. The study suggests that there is no relationship between perceived and objective stress; while perceived stress remained stable, the levels of hair cortisol were increased at 6 months. Despite the interesting findings of the study, there are some limitations: the sample was not obtained through probabilistic sampling, the age range was narrow, and some demographic, anthropomorphic and clinical factors are missing, which make the generalization of results difficult.

Life satisfaction in association with self-efficacy and stressor experience in adolescents - self-efficacy as a potential moderator

AIM

This paper reports associations among socio-demographic variables, stressor experience, self-efficacy and life satisfaction among Norwegian adolescents aged 15-21 years and the potential moderating role of self-efficacy on the association between stressor experience and life satisfaction.

METHODS

The cross-sectional school-based survey study involved 1816 upper-secondary school students from Mid-Norway. Data were analysed with independent samples t test, Pearson's product moment correlation and multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

Bivariate results showed that boys scored higher than girls on life satisfaction and self-efficacy, whereas girls scored higher than boys on all stressor domains. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that life satisfaction declined weakly with age, whereas stronger family economy and having parents who work full-time associated with higher life satisfaction. Stress with teacher interaction, peer pressure, home life, school attendance, school-leisure conflict and school performance were all negatively associated with life satisfaction, whereas self-efficacy associated positively and strongly with life satisfaction. Self-efficacy moderated the association between both interpersonal and school-related stressors and life satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

The results provide support for the unique role of stressor experience and self-efficacy in association with adolescents' life satisfaction as well as self-efficacy as a stress moderator in relation to life satisfaction.

Evaluating the benefits of a youth mental health curriculum for students in Nicaragua: a parallel-group, controlled pilot investigation

BACKGROUND

High rates of mental illness and addictions are well documented among youth in Nicaragua. Limited mental health services, poor mental health knowledge and stigma reduce help-seeking. The Mental Health Curriculum (MHC) is a Canadian school-based program that has shown a positive impact on such contributing factors. This pilot project evaluated the impact of the MHC on mental wellness and functioning among youth in Leon, Nicaragua.

METHODS

High school and university students (aged 14-25 years) were assigned to intervention (12-week MHC; n  =  567) and control (wait-list; n  =  346) groups in a non-randomized design. Both groups completed measures of mental health knowledge, stigma and function at baseline and 12 weeks. Multivariate analyses and repeated measures analyses were used to compare group outcomes.

RESULTS

At baseline, intervention students showed higher substance use (mean difference [MD]  =  0.24) and lower perceived stress (MD = -1.36) than controls (p  <  0.05); there were no other group differences in function. At 12 weeks, controlling for baseline differences, intervention students reported significantly higher mental health knowledge (MD  =  1.75), lower stigma (MD  =  1.78), more adaptive coping (MD  =  0.82), better lifestyle choices (MD  =  0.06) and lower perceived stress (MD = -1.63) (p  <  0.05) than controls. The clinical significance as measured by effect sizes was moderate for mental health knowledge, small to moderate for stigma and modest for the other variables. Substance use also decreased among intervention students to similar levels as controls (MD  =  0.03) (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot investigation demonstrates the benefits of the MHC in a low-and-middle-income youth population. The findings replicate results found in Canadian student populations and support its cross-cultural applicability.

Emotional intelligence and social skills on self-efficacy in Secondary Education students. Are there gender differences?

Self-efficacy affects our students' academic results, which may be related to people's social skills and emotional intelligence. This study included 1402 (50.71% males) Secondary Education Spanish students (12-17 years), and analysed the relation of self-efficacy with emotional intelligence and social skills. It showed how these constructs were related, and how the self-efficacy perceived by students varied according to their social skills and emotional intelligence. Gender did not influence self-efficacy, social skills and emotional intelligence. These variables showed similar correlation indices in females and males. Self-efficacy was related with social skills and emotional intelligence in Secondary Education students, but this relation was not gender-sensitive. More studies and research are needed to study and describe these variables according to gender from other perspectives. One proposal is to investigate the association between gender identity and self-efficacy and social skills and emotional intelligence to better understand how these constructs participate in adolescent development.

Examining the Contemporaneous, Short-Term, and Long-Term Effects of Secondary Exposure to Violence on Adolescent Substance Use

The relationship between secondary exposure to violence-defined as witnessing violence in the home, community, or school-and adolescent substance use is well-documented. Yet, multi-wave empirical studies examining this relationship are sparse. In addition, studies have only begun to examine whether this relationship varies by the situational components of the violent event. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), this study examines the contemporaneous, short-term, and long-term effects of secondary exposure to violence on substance use, and whether witnessing violence in which a weapon is present has a different impact on adolescent substance use than does witnessing violence without a weapon. Hierarchical logistic regression models on a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 1670 youth (51.5% female) residing in 79 neighborhoods indicated that: (1) the effects of secondary exposure to violence on alcohol and marijuana use were enduring, albeit attenuated, over time; (2) the effect of secondary exposure to violence on illicit drug use was suppressed in the short-term but significant in the long-term; (3) witnessing violence without a weapon was salient for alcohol and marijuana use at all time points; and (4) witnessing violence with a weapon impacted illicit drug use in the long-term. The results suggest that addressing the consequences of secondary exposure to violence requires prolonged intervention efforts and that the study of secondary exposure to violence requires a more nuanced approach that accounts for situational aspects of the violent event.